Hidden Secrets {Bill Weasley}

157

Harley spun on her heels and saw a jet of red light hurtling towards her head, she ducked out of the way, her body colliding with the floor with, her stomach hitting first. She cried out in pain, the cobbled flooring was no comfort to her body but nevertheless she pushed herself back up just as a big puff of smoke clouded everyone. She called out to Belle but by the time the smoke cleared the younger girl was gone.

Cursing aloud, Harley hurried into the school, her stomach feeling as if had been ripped to shreds from its impact with the floor. She shouted for her cousin but Belle was nowhere to be found. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw wisps of blue at the top of the staircase. She knew Belle would be fine but it didn't stop Harley from running after her.

She clutched where her stomach hurt with one arm and was using her other hand to block any oncoming attacks from foe. "Reducto!"

Climbing the staircases was not as fun as she had remembered, she used to love exploring the school as the staircases changed taking her anywhere and everywhere, letting her imagination run wild. It gave her the freedom she wanted and so very needed when stuck in a house with two drunk adults. However, now, as a fully grown adult, with sharp pains in her stomach and other body parts, getting spells and jinxes thrown at her left right and centre, rubble and other things flying around her that she was attempting to dodge did not seem as fun nor easy.

"Belle!" shouted Harley, "Belle! Where are you?"

She made it onto the seventh floor and there was still no sign of Belle, in fact the corridor was rather desolate. Screams and shouts of spells echoed from far below but on this floor, it was actually rather tranquil as if she had stepped out of a story full of action and into the quietness of a library, except she was in no library and this was real life.

Harley took this time to rest and she leaned up against the wall, her head leaning against where a portrait used to hang of an old philosopher and his wife. Her breathing was heavy and everything ached, this was not the end so she would have to pull through the pain and grin and bear it. As she rested quite sniffles and scratches of the school jumper to skin became louder.

"Hello?" She called out and the sniffles seized with a small gasp. Harley pushed herself off of the wall and tiptoed further down the corridor where a small gap under a statue was, a painting covering it. "Is anyone there?" A tiny cough was let to as Harley slowly peeled the portrait from where it was leaning against revealing a small boy.

The boys' eyes bulged with fear and his whole body began to tremble. Harley crouched down and held out her arms. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." She spoke softly.

"That's what they said!"

"Who? Who told you that?"

"Mr Carrow!"

Harley's heart dropped and she gently put her arms around the boy who clutched onto her tightly. He couldn't have been more than twelve-years-old. "Darling, why didn't you go with the other children?"

"I'm a Hufflepuff we are loyal to those around us."

"Loyalty is one thing but you're too young. I admire your bravery but I must get you to safety. What's your name?"

"Scott. Scott Harris."

"Well then, Scott, keep hold of my hand and do exactly as I say and you'll be safe okay." Scott nodded and crawled out from the cubby next to the statue. He gripped Harley's hand and followed along beside her as they ventured further into the seventh floor. She wasn't sure what she was going to do or how she would get him to safety other than the fact she would not let him get hurt. As the came to the eighth-floor staircase Neville came hurtling around the corner. 

"Woah! Sorry, Harley, um, shouldn't he be with the other younger years?" Neville nodded towards Scott who still had tears running down his cheeks.

"Yeah, I know. You couldn't do me a favour and take him for me, please? I need to find Belle."

"Of course, I was heading to Abeforth's quickly anyway, Mr Shacklebolt wants me to try and convince Abeforth to join anyway." Neville took hold of Scott's hand and Scott thanked Harley kindly. Harley told him that she would come and see him after if she could and watched as Neville disapparated with Scott.

A shot of pain rippled through her abdomen so she dropped to the ground as the pain became somewhat unbearable. A deatheater rounded the corner and Harley really wasn't up for any more fighting. The deatheater spotted her and taunted her. Harley sighed and was waiting to die as she had no fight left in her, her body was in so much pain that she was ready to give up.

The cruciatus curse swarmed her and she rolled around screaming. She begged for mercy, she begged to die. Dying would be a lot better than this. her face was wet with tears and her whole body felt as if she was burning from the inside out! The deatheater, whom she never took the time to work out who it was, was laughing maniacally. "If only I could keep you like this until the full moon, then Fenrir would have a third Lupin for a snack!" he cackled as he viewed Harely's torture like a comedy show.

Hearing the mention of Fenrir Greyback seemed to give Harley the strength and boost she needed to roll, still in a tonne of pain, towards him and crash into him sending him flying backwards into the wall and breaking the curse he had on her as his wand slipped from his fingers.

She gasped for air and despite so desperately wanting to shut down, she took her wand and shakily pointed it at the deatheater who was trying to scramble towards the wand that had rolled away from him. At that moment, Harley didn't give a damn about what she was about to do, if it would get rid of him, she would do anything. So much so, with a hoarse whisper, she said: "Reducto." The deatheater disintegrated into tiny specks of dust that you wouldn't even be able to tell that it was a monstrous human's remains. "Take that... dipshit!"

Oh how Harley just needed a break, she hauled herself across the floor, sliding along so that she rounded the corner away from the scene and then stopped. She wished the pain and suffering stop but little did she know, there was more to come.